I honestly can’t believe how quickly September has gone! It has been such a fun and exciting month for me having The Snail Artist at W5 Belfast and I’ve absolutely loved being there and meeting so many lovely people.

When I first created The Snail Artist, I never imagined that my little book and all of the characters I had painted would one day become an actual experience that children and families could step into. Seeing my paintings and snails around W5 has been a bit surreal really!

One of my favourite things has been meeting so many children who already know The Snail Artist, as well as lots of new little snail fans who have discovered it for the first time. I’ve loved chatting to families, answering questions about the book and, of course, doing lots of drawing!

The interactive parts of the exhibition have been brilliant too. Children can colour in one of my snail designs and add it to the huge collaborative artwork, which has grown and grown throughout the month. It has been lovely seeing all the different snails appearing and watching children get really creative with them.

There’s also a giant snail photo opportunity where you can actually step into the world of The Snail Artist, and I’ve seen so many brilliant photos of children posing with the giant snail. It really does make the whole thing feel like you’ve stepped inside the book.

I’ve also been doing my live drawing sessions every weekend, which have probably been one of my favourite parts of the whole experience. I love sitting down with the children, picking up a pencil and showing them how I draw some of my characters. Some are really confident little artists and others are a bit nervous at first, but by the end everyone has their own snail to take home!

It’s been especially nice for me because I’ve always loved encouraging children to draw and be creative. You really don’t have to be an amazing artist, just pick up a pencil, have a go and see what happens!

There are also some of my original paintings and illustrations from the book on display, as well as lots of behind-the-scenes artwork, so it has been lovely seeing people get a little glimpse into how The Snail Artist came together.

And of course, there is the lovely W5 gift shop, which has a whole selection of The Snail Artist goodies. You can pick up signed copies of the book, prints of some of the pages and lots of other fun merchandise. It’s still a bit strange seeing my little snail characters appearing on so many different things!

I’ve honestly had such a brilliant time at W5. I’ve met so many wonderful people, made lots of new snail fans and had some really lovely conversations with families who have enjoyed the exhibition.

This is actually my final weekend at W5, so if you haven’t been yet, this is your last chance to come along and see The Snail Artist experience for yourself. Come and find the snails, have a go at the activities, take a photo with the giant snail and hopefully I’ll see some of you at one of my drawing sessions!

A huge thank you to everyone at W5 for helping bring The Snail Artist to life in such a fun way, and thank you to everyone who has visited, bought the book, joined in with the drawing or simply stopped to say hello.

It really has been such a special month for me and I’m so excited to see where my little snail goes next! 🐌❤️

Dawn x